Federal Workers Can Telework for Religious Reasons, DOJ Says

"Federal workers can ask to work from home as part of religious accommodations under existing guidelines, the Department of Justice said in a memo to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Guidelines about religious liberty and expression should be enforced in a way that does not preclude workers from using "situational telework" options, Thursday's memo said."

"Guidelines about religious liberty and expression should be enforced in a way that does not preclude workers from using "situational telework" options, Thursday's memo said. The clarification on the government's stance comes as the Trump administration has pushed for federal workers to return to work in person. The EEOC under Republican Acting Chair Andrea Lucas has made enforcement of religious discrimination a priority."

The Department of Justice clarified that federal employees can request working from home as a religious accommodation under existing guidance. Religious liberty and expression rules must be enforced in ways that do not preclude employees from using situational telework options. The clarification arrives while the Trump administration encourages federal workers to return to in-person workplaces. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, led by Republican Acting Chair Andrea Lucas, is prioritizing enforcement of religious-discrimination protections. Agencies must consider telework requests made for religious reasons through established accommodation processes while balancing operational needs.

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